On Thursday, more evidence of Boston’s research strength arrived, as the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, a major funder of biomedical research, announced its new class of investigators — scientists whose salaries, benefits, and research budgets are fully covered for five years. Of the 27 new scientists who have won the coveted funding, a third are from Massachusetts — a greater concentration than any other region in the United States.

The Howard Hughes model for funding is slightly different from the traditional one that supports the majority of US biomedical research. Instead of funding researchers to carry out specific projects, Howard Hughes picks the individuals they think can make the most progress. The model is often referred to as “people, not projects.”